John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And the men of David said unto him , etc.] Some of his principal men, who were about him, and near him, such as Joab and Abishai: behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee : now the time was come that he spoke of to him by Samuel, or Gad, or to himself directly: behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand ; and such was Saul, as appeared by his seeking to take away his life; and now he was in the hand of David to take away his life, if he pleased: that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee ; an opportunity of this kind now offered: then David arose ; from that part of the cave in which he was, the further part of it: and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily ; unawares to him, and unobserved by him, which might be easily done, if Saul was asleep, and it is probable he was; and by the same way it may be accounted for that he did not hear the discourse that passed between David and his men.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - God delivered Saul into David's hand. It was an opportunity given to David to exercise faith and patience. He had a promise of the kingdom but no command to slay the king. He reasons strongly, both with himsel and with his men, against doing Saul any hurt. Sin is a thing which it becomes us to startle at, and to resist temptations thereto. He no only would not do this bad thing himself, but he would not suffer thos about him to do it. Thus he rendered good for evil, to him from whom he received evil for good; and was herein an example to all who are calle Christians, not to be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good.
Original Hebrew ויאמרו559 אנשׁי376 דוד1732 אליו413 הנה2009 היום3117 אשׁר834 אמר559 יהוה3068 אליך413 הנה2009 אנכי595 נתן5414 את853 איביך341 בידך3027 ועשׂית6213 לו כאשׁר834 יטב3190 בעיניך5869 ויקם6965 דוד1732 ויכרת3772 את853 כנף3671 המעיל4598 אשׁר834 לשׁאול7586 בלט׃3909
